Pass a test to get a bigger bin in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

North Lanarkshire Council officials will give householders a bigger bin - but only if a visiting inspector is satisfied that a bigger receptacle is required.

For it has emerged that staff will be sent to scrutinise levels of recycling - and that householders will be expected to complete a so-called ‘waste diary.’

The facts emerged after it was announced that bin collections will take place once every three weeks in a move that has provoked uproar.

However, a council spokesperson said: “If households use all the recycling services fully, a three weekly collection of non-recyclable waste is adequate.

“Households can order a larger or additional recycling bin free of charge.

“ If households with a larger number of residents still cannot fit all their general waste in a single bin, they can apply for a larger bin.”

It would be at this stage that council staff would be visiting the properties who make that request.

Jamie Hepburn MSP has been contacted by a number of concerned constituents who have taken exception to the arrangements - and he shares their view.

He said: “I will continue to pursue the matter and look to the council to reverse their position but with their new regime coming ever closer to being implemented time is increasingly against us to see them do so.”